Thoughts on TSCC Episode 2x08 "Mr. Ferguson Is Ill Today"
And episode 2x08 has arrived of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and here are my weekly thoughts:
1) The smile of hate. Oh yes, Riley, you have received it. And earned it so far. If a smile could kill, that would do it.
2) "Do you care about this girl? Then leave her alone." Mama Connor's got it right. If John was listening, which I think Cameron is giving him too much credit here,
3) Great entrance by Cromartie. And dragging Sarah around like a ragdoll really helps to lend to the physical power that he has. The other T888s haven't been as intimidating lately and Garret still has it.
4) Ok, the switching back and forth between the perspectives is interesting. I actually kinda like it.
5) Cameron is manipulative. She knows exactly how good looking she is and the 'I can feel heat' line was not said emotionlessly. Far sweeter than she normally talks and completely intentional.
6) This runaway excursion was very obviously planned in advance.
7) Riley is a foster kid. No wonder her guardians don't give a damn.
8) I see Riley's obsessiveness with wanting to find the truth out about John getting everyone in more trouble.
9) I've read T2: Infiltrator by SM Stirling. In that book, someone who can ID Sarah Connor gets a knife held to his throat by a 16 year old John Connor who reads the guy the riot act and all but threatens to cut off the man's balls. I wish I could see that John Connor in the Thomas Dekker John Connor. Snatch the camera and run do. Why is it that RILEY has better instincts than you? And his hesitation costs him as Riley and John are caught.
10) "Your American accent is killing me!" I thought John had a good accent in Spanish.
11) John is forced to call Cromartie as Sarah and realizes just how deep of shit he's in when Cromartie doesn't respond to the new code. Excuse my touch of schadenfreude.
12) Wow, Cromartie really just gets it. And he makes them all look like idiots as he explains how badly they've all screwed up.
13) I want to know why there's a stuffed animal in Cromartie's trunk.
14) Did anyone else wince as the bit of soda can tore off and embedded into Sarah's palm? I did.
15) And Ellison's buddies in the bureau is a somewhat overused plot device. Any random agent can call him with information when the case is closed and no one else cares! Also, how did Ellison get to keep his badge?
16) Police Station + Terminator = Massacre. This is a classic formula and a law in physics. Much like e=mc2.
17) Lots of gunfire this episode. But where are Derek and Cameron? They were good at the beginning but they need to get back into things.
18) I expected a more emotional meeting between Sarah and Ellison. They're so muted I have to wonder what's up. Though the initial distrust is there and Ellison is doing the right thing, which is what I expected. John definitely needs to punt Riley.
19) Cameron is getting more obsessive than she was about the purple jacket. I have to wonder what she's going to end up doing.
20) Cromartie PoV! Hah! That was amusing, especially seeing how he'd pick his targets and those he would bypass.
21) Ellison wandering into the open? That's what we call bait.
22) And we get a Desperado style shootout that ends with Cromartie's death. I knew that was gonna be the character that died. He couldn't keep failing or he'd get to be Wile E. Terminator, Supah Geneyus. But I have to wonder what the hell type of weapon Cameron used to smash open his skull. Something very high powered. Why do I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of Cromartie? Even if he is just a rusted wreck next time.
23) And Ellison is spurned, as I can imagine. There's nothing else behind the curtain, James, except for more Wizard of Oz imagery.
24) There's our emotional Sarah! Glad to see her get pissed (and at the right target) as she smashes Cromartie's chip into bits.
25) Sarah and John embrace and I think, maybe, they might finally make up. But there needs to be a large reckoning for what happened in Mexico. That'll be for next episode (I hope).
Overall I liked the episode. I think the PoV switches were definitely an interesting dynamic that brought a fair amount of extra tension. I think the final fight could have been a little more climactic, but they obviously spent all their budget on sets and extras this episode. The death was not particularly surprising. Cromartie had outlived his usefulness as a character, but was easily the best terminator on the series so far (aside from Cameron).
I am really hoping John comes to a realization after this. The brattiness has to end. How many innocents in that town died because John went there and Cromartie showed up? A dozen? More? Actions have consequences Mr. Connor, which you don't seem to grasp yet.
One slightly amusing note: When they were burying Cromartie you could see Cameron only shovelling itty bitty bits of dirt into the whole when a terminator should be able to move a large amount of earth quickly. Oops! Being a little too girly there, Summer! :D
1) The smile of hate. Oh yes, Riley, you have received it. And earned it so far. If a smile could kill, that would do it.
2) "Do you care about this girl? Then leave her alone." Mama Connor's got it right. If John was listening, which I think Cameron is giving him too much credit here,
3) Great entrance by Cromartie. And dragging Sarah around like a ragdoll really helps to lend to the physical power that he has. The other T888s haven't been as intimidating lately and Garret still has it.
4) Ok, the switching back and forth between the perspectives is interesting. I actually kinda like it.
5) Cameron is manipulative. She knows exactly how good looking she is and the 'I can feel heat' line was not said emotionlessly. Far sweeter than she normally talks and completely intentional.
6) This runaway excursion was very obviously planned in advance.
7) Riley is a foster kid. No wonder her guardians don't give a damn.
8) I see Riley's obsessiveness with wanting to find the truth out about John getting everyone in more trouble.
9) I've read T2: Infiltrator by SM Stirling. In that book, someone who can ID Sarah Connor gets a knife held to his throat by a 16 year old John Connor who reads the guy the riot act and all but threatens to cut off the man's balls. I wish I could see that John Connor in the Thomas Dekker John Connor. Snatch the camera and run do. Why is it that RILEY has better instincts than you? And his hesitation costs him as Riley and John are caught.
10) "Your American accent is killing me!" I thought John had a good accent in Spanish.
11) John is forced to call Cromartie as Sarah and realizes just how deep of shit he's in when Cromartie doesn't respond to the new code. Excuse my touch of schadenfreude.
12) Wow, Cromartie really just gets it. And he makes them all look like idiots as he explains how badly they've all screwed up.
13) I want to know why there's a stuffed animal in Cromartie's trunk.
14) Did anyone else wince as the bit of soda can tore off and embedded into Sarah's palm? I did.
15) And Ellison's buddies in the bureau is a somewhat overused plot device. Any random agent can call him with information when the case is closed and no one else cares! Also, how did Ellison get to keep his badge?
16) Police Station + Terminator = Massacre. This is a classic formula and a law in physics. Much like e=mc2.
17) Lots of gunfire this episode. But where are Derek and Cameron? They were good at the beginning but they need to get back into things.
18) I expected a more emotional meeting between Sarah and Ellison. They're so muted I have to wonder what's up. Though the initial distrust is there and Ellison is doing the right thing, which is what I expected. John definitely needs to punt Riley.
19) Cameron is getting more obsessive than she was about the purple jacket. I have to wonder what she's going to end up doing.
20) Cromartie PoV! Hah! That was amusing, especially seeing how he'd pick his targets and those he would bypass.
21) Ellison wandering into the open? That's what we call bait.
22) And we get a Desperado style shootout that ends with Cromartie's death. I knew that was gonna be the character that died. He couldn't keep failing or he'd get to be Wile E. Terminator, Supah Geneyus. But I have to wonder what the hell type of weapon Cameron used to smash open his skull. Something very high powered. Why do I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of Cromartie? Even if he is just a rusted wreck next time.
23) And Ellison is spurned, as I can imagine. There's nothing else behind the curtain, James, except for more Wizard of Oz imagery.
24) There's our emotional Sarah! Glad to see her get pissed (and at the right target) as she smashes Cromartie's chip into bits.
25) Sarah and John embrace and I think, maybe, they might finally make up. But there needs to be a large reckoning for what happened in Mexico. That'll be for next episode (I hope).
Overall I liked the episode. I think the PoV switches were definitely an interesting dynamic that brought a fair amount of extra tension. I think the final fight could have been a little more climactic, but they obviously spent all their budget on sets and extras this episode. The death was not particularly surprising. Cromartie had outlived his usefulness as a character, but was easily the best terminator on the series so far (aside from Cameron).
I am really hoping John comes to a realization after this. The brattiness has to end. How many innocents in that town died because John went there and Cromartie showed up? A dozen? More? Actions have consequences Mr. Connor, which you don't seem to grasp yet.
One slightly amusing note: When they were burying Cromartie you could see Cameron only shovelling itty bitty bits of dirt into the whole when a terminator should be able to move a large amount of earth quickly. Oops! Being a little too girly there, Summer! :D